Airbags of different types are present in many modern motor vehicles. They provide a means for protecting the occupants of the motor vehicle in the case of an impact and can for example be located under the dashboard, in the steering wheel, in the occupant seat or around a door opening. The different types are usually based on a similar technological idea of an inflatable airbag triggered upon an impact. The impact results in an explosive inflation of the airbag, which as a consequence breaks its way out through a path or housing and into the occupant compartment of the motor vehicle. In the occupant compartment, the occupant is due to the impact thrown towards the airbag that receives parts of the kinetic energy of the occupant and hence protects the occupant from being severely injured in a so called first impact. The airbag subsequently deflates and looses its ability to further protect the occupant.
However, the occupant may be injured during the first stage of launching the airbag since many airbags are located behind lids or other covers that are closed under normal use of the motor vehicle. The closure mechanism of the cover may consist of a closing latch or of a notch in the cover material, both of which need a specific amount of energy to open or to rupture, which the airbag provides during the launch. The airbag is adapted to build up such an amount of energy within itself, as to overcome the initial opening energy needed to break loose into the occupant compartment before further inflation and intended use. Since the opening energy needed is often significant, the cover is flung open with considerable force and speed. This may in turn result in vehicle parts flying around in the occupant compartment and accidentally hitting and causing injury to the occupant.
A further inconvenience is that after the first impact there is, in many cases, a so called second impact caused by the large amount of kinetic energy involved in a motor vehicle accident. Since the airbag looses its protective ability after the deflation at the first impact, the occupant may instead, in a second impact, be thrown against a dashboard that now has open covers behind which the airbag formerly was located. The second impact may thus also result in occupant injury.
After an impact, not only exterior parts damaged in the impact need to be replaced or mended. Also interior parts, such as the dashboard behind which the airbag was formerly located, may be damaged since closing mechanisms of the lid or other covers may have been ruptured due to the inflation of the airbag. Repair work may be costly and spare parts such as dashboards are in general expensive. These costs are usually covered by insurance companies, but are transferred to the motor vehicle owners by increased insurance fees.